Road Commission union ratifies new contract to end health-insurance disparity

JACKSON, MI -- Union workers at the Jackson County Road Commission will soon be back on equal footing with supervisors for health insurance.

Road workers in AFSCME Local 905 accepted a new contract this week, ending long and sometimes difficult negotiations. The union has worked with no contract since Aug. 1.

Members voted 41-14 to ratify, said union president Rick Benn, and the road commission is expected to formally approve the three-year contract in April.

“Everybody isn’t happy with it, and every guy could probably find something wrong with it,” Benn said. “But overall, considering the economic situation in the world today, it’s a pretty good deal.”

The contract calls for modest raises -- a $400 bonus this year and 1 percent raises in each of the next two years -- and work-rule changes to give management more flexibility, but health insurance was the big issue from the start of talks.

Benn said the insurance cost deducted from his paycheck rose from about $50 each two-week pay period in 2011 to $144 starting Jan. 1.

That blow was softened for nonunion road commission employees, whose work benefits are not subject to negotiation.

Non-union employees were moved into a high-deductible health plan with a health reimbursement account, a type of coverage that required smaller payroll deductions than those enacted for union workers.

Under the new contract, union workers will have the same health plan as nonunion employees. Benn said his payroll deduction will be about $60, more than in 2011 but far less than the cost he's paid since January.

For both union and management employees, the new health plan could be considered a concession compared to insurance received in past years.

"This will reduce the cost of the plan to the road commission," said Ronald Wohlford, director of finance.